Noriko Tachiki

Appearance
Noriko is a young high school girl of Japanese descent with brown hair that is mostly straight (except for her bangs which curl outward slightly) and large, round brown eyes.

Her facial features are rounder compared to the more mature female characters, with a round face and larger, innocent eyes. She's also incredibly expressive, so much so that those around her can easily figure out what she's thinking based on her expressions.

Unlike most manga characters, Noriko's appearance does change throughout the series, albeit slightly.

Her hair, for instance, was originally cut in a shoulder-length bob though its length increases in Volume 3 and seven. Her hair returns to its original length after it had been hacked off by Rachef though the epilogue and mini diary entries show that she allowed it to grow back to its longer length.

Her attire also changes consistently throughout the series. In the beginning, she wore a traditional Japanese School uniform which consisted of the usual dress shirt, jacket, School tie, a long skirt that reached just past her knees, white calf socks, and black shoes. After her arrival in Izark's world, she temporarily wore a shirt and pair of pants that formerly belonged to Izark which later became her sleeping wear.

Over the course of the series, Noriko wore many different dresses though almost all of them were considered to be casual wear so that she wouldn't stand out in any way. There are two exceptions to this: The slender, almost form-fitted gown she wore at the Festival of Flower opening ceremony and the regal dress she wore when Duke Jeida was reinstated during the epilogue.

Personality
Noriko is a kind and caring young woman, often being one of the peacemakers of her group. She has once been described as being the one person who could bring everyone together in moments of tension and distrust.

According to her school friends, she's a bit of an airhead which they attribute to her having a vivid imagination. Noriko often finds herself deep within her thoughts and will at times react to her musings, much to the confusion or amusement of anyone around her. Both Agol and Izark have noted that it's easy to tell what she's thinking.

She prefers to be optimistic, approaching things one at a time and often starting with tasks she feels she can easily manage on her own.

Noriko is naturally preceptive toward people as she has, on multiple occasions, been able to tell when someone has sinister intentions toward herself and her companions. This is also aided by the fact she can see the evil within certain people.

Noriko is also very insecure about her worth among her companions as, by comparison to them, she is physically weaker and most of their enemies attack them because of her. Her insecurity is implied to have stemmed from the fact that she wasn't taught to survive in such a dangerous world and therefore she wishes to make herself useful so she won't be left behind.

However, she is the exact opposite of how she views herself. She is braver than some of the people she's met and has put herself in danger for the sake of others such as when she boldly entered an ancient temple to save Izark.

She's also a quick learner as it took roughly three months for her to have some understanding of the common language, able to speak in broken sentences, and sometimes able to make complete sentences. It's unknown how long it took for her to become fluent, but by Volume 6 she can speak the language perfectly.

Izark Kia Tarj
To Noriko, Izark is a kind yet misunderstood man. Noriko was under the impression that Izark found her in the Sea of Trees by chance and took pity on, only to learn after the destruction of Seer's palace that Izark originally intended to kill her to save himself. Before this, she was strongly attached to him as he took care of her for three months, teaching her his language, the currency, and basic skills such as shopping and, presumably, cooking. During the first three months, Noriko viewed him as a friend and cared about his well-being, even if he would sometimes act coldly to her. Over time, she realized that she loves him and had accidentally confesses to him while she was recovering from nearly being crushed to death. Once she becomes aware that she is the Awakening, she tries to leave him as she doesn't want to cause him any more pain. She chooses to follow him in an effort to change their fate and while he physically protects her, she spiritually/emotionally protects him.

Gaya Il Biska
Upon first meeting, Noriko was slightly uncomfortable with Gaya, finding her to be the complete opposite of Izark. However, Noriko quickly grew close with her and views Gaya as a sort of maternal figure, calling her Auntie. Noriko trusts Gaya and occasionally has philosophical conversations with her, demonstrating that Noriko values Gaya's opinions and beliefs.

Banadam
Banadam, at first, was an awkward companion that Noriko had little interaction with though, from those interactions, she believed him to be a good man. When Banadam was under the influence of the evil spirit within the Morning Mist forest, she was the first to realize that something was wrong and urged him to remember what a kind person he really was. Though Noriko does think highly of him, she doesn't have any romantic feelings for him and was bothered that Banadam took it upon himself to try and defend her when Izark was being incredibly cold toward her.

Jeida De Gilenee
Noriko greatly respects Duke Jeida and values both his opinion and beliefs. This is best shown in later volumes when she is reflecting on certain topics, such as the nature of the world, the efforts of ordinary people, and so on. Of her many friends, it's his words that have made the greatest impact on her.

Rontarna
Though she isn't seen with him much, Noriko sees him as a good person much like his father. However, she doesn't appreciate when he and his brother force Zena to read hers and Izark's fortunes. Despite this, she holds no grudge over the matter.

Koriki
Though she isn't seen with him much, Noriko sees him as a good person much like his father. However, she doesn't appreciate when he and his brother force Zena to read hers and Izark's fortunes. Despite this, she holds no grudge over the matter.

Agol Dena Ofa
Noriko and Agol's friendship was once one-sided as Agol only cared about finding the Awakening and rightly believed that the Awakening was her. However, as they traveled together, their relationship became more genuine. Though she never confided in him as she did with Gaya or received words of wisdom from him, she values his strength.

Geena Haas
Though Noriko was, at first, merely a momentary caretaker for Geena, she has a great respect for Geena's fortune-telling abilities and recognizes her importance in their group.

Tazasheena
While Tazasheena hates Noriko and looks down upon her, Noriko pities the horrible woman as she recognizes that Tazasheena is filled with vanity and some level of self-loathing. Even after all has been said and done, Noriko couldn't help but wonder what became of her and shares her feelings about the woman in her mini diary.

Abilities

 * Telepathy: Because Awakening and Sky Demon are spiritually connected, Noriko is able to communicate with Izark telepathically. At first, she seemed able to only communicate through their minds but, it was hinted that with enough power and concentration, she is able to see Izark and his surroundings. As Noriko and Izark grow closer, their bond grows stronger allowing for their telepathy to also strengthen. They are able to communicate over the span of a few miles and perhaps farther if need be. It's implied that this mental link between them comes from being connected to the world of light as this ability is dramatically enhanced once Noriko enters the world of light and spiritually joins Izark for the final confrontation against Rachef. However, their communication can be disrupted: if Izark is overtaken by his rage, Noriko will still be able to hear him but he won't be able to hear her and if one of them is placed in a protective shield made by Moonstones, not only will they be unable to reach each other, but they wouldn't be able to sense each other's presence.
 * Teleportation: With the help of Doros' Chimos, Noriko is capable of traveling a short distance in an instant with just a mere thought. If she was with another person who could use a Chimo, she can travel a greater distance. She can technically travel a great distance by herself, however, doing so can will exhaust her to the point where she is unable to breathe and will ultimately die her if she doesn't receive assistance from the spirits of the White Mist Forest.
 * Unknown Spiritual Power: Noriko has a strong spiritual connection to this new world that seems to have either existed within her since birth or has steadily developed since she arrived. From Volume three onward, she has been able to sense and, at times, see the evil within others which manifest as dark malicious shadows. This ability also seems to allow her to see Irk even when his energy is too weak for others to see him and this is presumably the same power that allows her to enter the World of Light. Noriko describes this power as becoming a part of the air.

Trivia

 * Noriko's name is spelled 立木 典子 in Japanese. Her first name's spelling means Child of Ceremony. Her last name doesn't seem to have a meaning.
 * Noriko once used Geena's name as her own while hiding in a farming village.
 * Noriko's name was often misspelled as Iriko by the mangaka Kyoko Hikawa.
 * When Geena and other Seers try to see the Awakening (Noriko), all they see is an image where at color are mixed up and are unable to make out what the image is. It seems this image is seen by those who aren't familiar with Noriko's face as once Gorya is able to recognize Noriko and Izark, he is able to find them with ease and without seeing the distorted image other seers receive. Geena and Zena also are able to see Izark and Noriko, but only see them as specks of light.
 * Whenever Noriko is actively using her spiritual powers, she describes it as becoming a part of the air around her. Ironically, Izark is able to command two elements, Fire and Air. It's possible that this might be a hint as to how the Sky Demon and Awakening are connected to one another.
 * It's also possible that this was meant to be an early hint that Noriko, as the Awakening, was meant to aid the Sky Demon as a companion. Not as the tool that everyone assumed she would be.